Date:         Tue, 8 Jan 2008 10:28:20 -0500
Reply-To:     Dave Scocca <dave@SCOCCA.ORG>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Dave Scocca <dave@SCOCCA.ORG>
Subject:      Re: What is the SAS command to open the 'View in Excel' pop menu
              item
In-Reply-To:  <478332FF.20303@ined.fr>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

Robin Templer wrote:

> Running under Windows,  SAS 9.1.3 Sp4,  and I want to programmatically
> run the item 'View in Excel'.  The 'View in Excel' is a pop up menu item
> displayed when you right mouse click on a SAS dataset in the SAS Explorer
> window.
>
> Does any one know what the underlying command is ?  I know I could
> re-invent that - but I am lazy.

OK--the generalized case of how to find the underlying commands for
Explorer menu items:

(1) Choose Tools... Options... Explorer

(2) Go to the "Members" tab

(3) Select "Table"

(4) Click "Edit..."

You will see a list of available actions and action commands. Selecting one
and using the "Edit..." button lets you copy the exact command string,
which in this case is:

AFA C=SASHELP.EXPLORER.EXCEL_TABLE_OPEN.SCL LIBRARY='%8b' TABLE='%32b';

where:

AFA (short for AFAPPLICATION) is the command to run an AF or SCL program
nonexclusively--that is, allowing you to continue using other SAS features
or run other programs while the AF/SCL program runs

C=SASHELP.EXPLORER.EXCEL_TABLE_OPEN.SCL specifies a SAS-provided SCL
program to open the table in Excel.  ("C=" is short for "CATALOG=".)

%8b represents the library name of the selected table

%32b represents the member name of the selected table


A note: the catalog SASHELP.EXPLORER contains SCL entries with source code,
so you can actually look at SASHELP.EXPLORER.EXCEL_TABLE_OPEN.SCL to see
what it does.

(In this case, I can't help but think that the way it works is very
strange: it uses PROC PRINT with ODS HTML to put a dataset listing into an
HTML file with an .XLS extension, and then uses WINEXECFILE to open the
file in Excel.)

Dave Scocca